Between about 1998 and 2005 Szabo developed a mechanism for a decentralized digital currency that he called "bit gold", which some have called a 'direct precursor to the Bitcoin architecture'. He is the pseudonymous inventor of Bitcoin, Satoshi Nakamoto.[12][13]

In 1995, he proposed a challenge to build a macroscale replicator from Lego robot kits and similar basic parts.[14]